Waterpark Fun
by dustytiger
Summary: Garcia and Reid bring their godson to the waterpark. Upon seeing the genius in his swimwear Garcia starts to see him differently. Challenge response. Stand alone.


Title: Waterpark Fun  
Author: Trista Groulx aka dustytiger  
Rating: T like the show to be safe  
Disclaimer: Alas, I still do not own Criminal Minds and I am still poor. CM belongs to it's network, creator, writers actors and actresses who bring the show to life.  
Summary: Garcia and Reid bring their godson to the waterpark. Upon seeing the genius in his swimwear Garcia starts to see him differently.  
Notes: This is a response to a challenge on the Chit Chat on Author's Corner summer heat wave challenge. The prompts were melting ice cream cone, swimming pool, a bikini top swim trunks, a thunderstorm, soaring temperatures, I used them all. Also the same forum is running their fic awards if you want to check that out. Despite what Garcia said in the season finale I still like them as a pairing so this what I came up with. This is a stand alone.

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Penelope Garcia smiled as she watched Spencer Reid with their godson Henry Lamontange. She still couldn't believe how much of a little man the blonde haired little boy was becoming right before her eyes. They had been watching the little boy while their parents were away for the weekend. Reid was helping him put on sunscreen, but the boy was fussing trying to apply it himself. The three of them were going to the water park to try and cool off during the record breaking heat wave, hoping it would also preoccupy the toddler from missing his parents.

"All done!" Henry announced going to run away from them to explore, like he had been doing when they'd bring him to the park.

"Oh no you don't," Reid told him catching him before he got too far. "You can't run up ahead while we're here there's going to be too many people."

For a man who claimed have no sense when it came to children Reid always seemed to do the right thing when it came to his Godson. Garcia was starting to see the genius differently since they had been watching the little boy. For a long time she had seen him as anomaly, like most people did, but recently they had become good friends. Now she was starting to see him as something more, which surprised her because she still couldn't picture herself being physically attracted to the genius.

Henry took Reid's hand and they walked toward the entrance of the waterpark. He paid for their admission and Henry's eyes grew wide as he saw the maze of slides, and pools. Both his godparents couldn't help but laugh at his reaction. The two of them were enjoying their roles in the little boy's life more as he grew. Reid loved the fact that the little boy seemed to enjoy learning while Garcia took great joy in making sure the little boy always had fun on their adventures; it helped that she had the heart of a child herself.

"Do you mind keeping an eye on Henry while I get changed?" Reid asked Garcia when they got inside.

He was the only one in the group who was not already in his swimwear, insisting that he would not be comfortable driving in anything but a pair of pants. Henry had on a pair of Lightning McQueen board shorts and blue life jacket which covered most of matching UV protection t-shirt he was wearing. Garcia was wearing sapphire blue tankini top and a flowery sarong which hid a matching skirted bottom. She wasn't sure how much time she was going to spend in the water but wanted Henry to have fun.

"Sure thing," Garcia assured him taking Henry's hand.

The genius disappeared into the men's changing room. When he emerged Garcia's jaw dropped. She had fully expected him to be in an old fashioned striped bathing suit straight out of the twenties, but instead he was wearing a pair of long dark purple swim trunks. Had she ever seen the genius like that before she never would have told him she had no sexual attraction to him. She knew she shouldn't stare but it was hard not to. She could not get over how well toned the genius was, even if he was pale. She never would have imagined his old man geek wear hid such an appealing shape. He might not be a sculpted god who could grace magazine covers but it was clear Reid was no stranger to the gym. She was truly seeing him in a whole new light.

"I knew I should have brought a t-shirt of some sort," Reid sighed seeing her staring at him.

"And cover that bod? Doctor Delectable that would be a sin and a shame," she told him trying to sound as confident as she did with Morgan.

He scratched his head. "I'm not sure I fully believe you but thank you Garcia." Henry was now trying to pull Reid from where he was standing. "I think someone doesn't want us standing around talking about how awkward I look in a swim suit and to just get in the water already."

Garcia laughed. "I totally agree. But for the record you don't look awkward just a little pale, so we match and I feel less silly about my awesome tech skin."

"I'm fairly certain I am reflecting," he sighed.

"You look fine, stop fretting wonder boy. Where do you want to go first Henry?" Garcia asked.

"There!" Henry told them pointing toward the wave pool.

Garcia groaned, that was the one thing she hoped they could avoid. She didn't like wave pools. She didn't like the feel of the artificial waves, even though she could spend hours in the ocean. Something about wave pools always upset her stomach, even if her sweet Godson wanted to go she didn't want to go.

"Sweetie, I'm not sure that's the best idea. Sometimes those can make your tummy feel icky," she tried to explain to him hoping he would believe her and change his mind.

"Daddy takes me 'afore!" Henry assured his godmother.

Garcia looked at Reid and he immediately knew she didn't want to go into the pool. She liked that he wouldn't pry into it and take it at face value. She could tell that she wasn't going to talk the little boy out of going into the pool and hoped that Reid would be up for taking him solo for a few minutes.

"I think Aunt Penelope isn't ready for that but we can go for a few minutes then we'll do something we all like," Reid told the little boy.

"Okay Unca Spence!"

The two of them went over to the wave pool hand in hand. Once they got close Henry let go of Reid's hand and ran into the water squealing with delight as soon as the artificial waves touched him. She could see Reid stopping him and saying something, she assumed it was to keep close. Even with the life jacket she knew the genius would want the boy within arms' reach. Garcia grinned as she watched the two of them. Henry was laughing his head off as the waves moved him around, usually bumping him into his uncle. She could tell that they were having fun and didn't want to cut their time together short, and she knew she could watch them together for hours. She was glad that she had something to focus on other than people watching.

Being as pale as she was she often let her eyes drift to more tanned people. As much as she didn't like to people watch it was hard not to in a place like that. Even with men who were in speedos all around her she was drawn to Reid's swim trunks and tried to focus on her Godson instead to keep her mind from wondering about her relationship with Reid. She tried closing her eyes and picture him dressed for the comic book convention but her mind always went back to him in the purple swimsuit and she knew that this was an image that would not soon be forgotten.

Reid tried to stay close to his godson in the wave pool, but it was hard. It didn't take long for him to get nervous about the way the artificial waves were pushing the three year old around, even though Henry seemed to be loving it. After a few times of being bumped by the little boy Reid could already feel himself getting tired. When the waves stopped for a few minutes Reid was glad that the little boy lost interest in the now regular pool. He took Reid's hand and they walked toward Garcia. He let go of his hand and he ran right to his fairy godmother.

"Did you have fun?" she asked hugging him as he crashed into her legs.

"Yeah!" Henry giggled. "Slides?"

"You're a little dare devil aren't you?"

"Yup!" he told her puffing his chest out proudly. "We can go on the ones you're big enough for."

The three of them went in search of attractions that Henry was big enough to try and were happy that there were a few slides which he liked that he could go on. Garcia noticed Reid looking up at the sky, and hoped that the clouds that threatened would stay at bay for a little while longer so they could continue to enjoy their day.

They were just about to take a break to enjoy lunch when there was an announcement that lightening had been seen in the area which meant no one could be in the water. Shortly after that it began to drizzle as was forecasted but they had hoped that it would be wrong. They both knew that they were calling for thunderstorms but decided if they arrived early enough they might still tire the toddler out before they hit.

"Do we want to wait this out?" Garcia asked Reid.

"I'm not sure it's going to clear up, and if the storm gets worse it might be hours before we can go back in the water. This park has a policy that it must be forty five minutes with no lightening sighted instead of the standard half an hour," he explained.

"I just don't want Henry to be upset," she sighed.

"We had a good morning. Maybe a treat on the way home will be enough to salvage the day."

"I hope so."

Garcia went over and kneeled down in front of the little boy. "I think we're going to go change."

Henry looked at her. "No," he whispered. "More slides."

"We can't go on the slides until it's nice again and it's starting to rain buddy," Reid tried to ex plain.

"We is wet," Henry told her, logically.

Garcia laughed. "I know but if there's a storm we're not allowed to go in the water because it's dangerous."

"Why?"

"Water conducts electricity and-" Reid began to explain.

"Reid!" Garcia snapped. "It's just not safe, sweetheart. When you are older you can ask Uncle Spence all about the science behind it. Since we have to go home early Uncle Spence wants to take us for ice cream on the way home though."

"Okay. Ice cream!"

Reid took Henry into the men's changing room while Garcia went into the women's. When they met again Garcia was a little upset to see Reid back in his normal clothes as he held the toddler. She was glad she had gotten a few good pictures to remember the day by, and snapped one last one. They walked back to the car and they barely got out of the parking lot when the sky opened up and a thunderstorm began to boom around them.

Henry was staring out the window entranced by the storm. JJ had warned them that he and Will would spend hours storm watching. Garcia meanwhile was trying to not to flinch at the loud claps. Reid knew that seeing Garcia react might make Garcia nervous so he reached over and took her hand in his. She smiled at him and squeezed his hand to reassure him he'd done the right thing. She was sure she felt a spark between them. She wasn't afraid of storm, she just didn't like the sounds related to them. Loud noises had always made her nervous.

They stopped about half way home for ice cream. Reid was not surprised that Henry only had a little bit of his before it started to melt. Every time too much of the rainbow coloured ice cream the little boy had chosen started to drip on his hands the little boy offered the cone to his uncle, which JJ had warned him Will did all the time. When they were done with their ice cream and cleaned up from the treat they all got back into the car and Henry almost immediately fell asleep.

"I guess he did have a good day," Garcia laughed.

"I'm glad he did, I hope you did as well," he told her.

"Of course I did I got to see you being super godfather while wearing a cute pair of trunks my sweet. Despite the weather this was a great idea. We'll have to do it again."

"That would be nice."

"You just want ogle the women in their skimpy bikini tops."

"I actually don't like bikinis."

"What's not to like boy wonder?"

"They are essentially underwear. Call me old fashioned but if I was dating a woman I would want to be the only one who saw her in lingerie."

Garcia laughed. "A bikini is not lingerie!"

"I beg to differ. They are designed to show off a woman's curves and appeal to men and are marketed in a way that make most women think they need to do anything to try and fit into one. I prefer what you were wearing today it looked good on you and was highly functional for what we were doing."

She couldn't help but smile. "I like the way think, but most men think more like Morgan."

"I suppose you're right about that, but I prefer it when women leave more to the imagination."

"It amazes me that you're single sweetheart."

He shrugged. "I don't have a lot of free time and most women don't seem to understand that. Besides I'm socially awkward and look odd when I'm naked."

"I'll give you that the job makes it hard and maybe being socially awkward but I'm sure you look as adorable as any other geek boy when you're in your birthday suit."

He laughed. "I'm not sure I believe you when you say that. You have told me before that you don't find me attractive."

"I may have jumped the gun."

They pulled up to her building and looked back at Henry's booster seat to see if he'd woken up.

"I can carry him inside, if you open the doors," Reid offered.

"Just a second," she whispered.

She took his hand and he stopped and looked at her. She then ran her fingers along his cheek. Before he knew was going on Garcia's lips were pressed gently against his. Garcia was surprised by the spark she felt just by touching him and hoped he felt the same way.

"Why did you do that?" asked a very shocked Reid.

"I needed to know if kissing you was like kissing my brother."

"Oh."

"It wasn't. I guess I judged you too soon before. I'm sorry."

"Is this what you want?"

She nodded. "Watching you with Henry today and just knowing you know me better than almost anyone else made me start to think. If I had seen you in your swim trunks sooner I could have avoided some awkward remarks and I'm sorry that I hurt you feelings. I'll totally understand if you want to pretend this never happened I just needed to know. You could say something any time Reid."

"I…" he stammered. "I wasn't expecting this. I am curious about where this might lead but there may be a lot of consequences as a result."

"I know."

"And I'll want to move forward slowly if that's what we both decide."

"I understand."

"Good. We should get Henry inside while there's a break in the rain."

"That's a good idea."

Reid opened the car door then went around back and carefully picked Henry up. Garcia closed the car door, then ran ahead and opened the doors to her apartment for them. Reid went into her bedroom and laid the little boy down on the bed. He then removed his shoes and socks before bringing a blanket up to cover him. Garcia stood in the doorway and watched them. As Reid left the room he stopped in front of Garcia and pulled her closer to him, his hand resting on her hip. When she gasped in response he captured her lips and she immediately sunk into the tender embrace. If anyone had told her only a few days ago she would be kissing Reid she would have told them they were crazy, but now she knew she was addicted to the awkward genius and would do whatever it took for their relationship to move forward.

The End

Notes: I hope you enjoyed this. Sorry it was late some life drama happened and I would love some happies to get my mind off what's been going on. Thank you in advance for any support. I hope this worked for everyone and don't forget to check out the chit chat on author's corner


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